The Love Center: Family Matters
by Tuttle
Summary: Sequel to Pushing Aside The Demons-The McBain secret grows deeper and The Love Crew receives news on Nick's condition. Updated 3.7.05 Added Part 5
1. Chapter One

A/N: This story takes place after _Pushing Aside The Demons_. Enjoy

* * *

He was dead. He didn't move. He couldn't breath on his own. By all definition, Nick was dead. His brain was alive, but wasn't functioning. He was dead.

Mark sat in the room, holding Nick's hand. "You know I hate this place." he said. "I hate it. But here you are. You're lying here with tubes and wires and... you can't even breathe." Mark paused. "Can you hear me? Can you even hear me, Nick?"

Mark felt a hand come down on his shoulder and he jumped, turning around. "Mark..." Jack said. "We need to call his family."

"It's just his father," Mark said softly. "He's... he's in New York."

"We need to get in touch with him."

"No," he said "No way. Nick would not want him here. He wouldn't want his father here. I know that."

"He's still Nick's father," Jack said.

"No, Dad," Mark said. "No way. You have to think of something. That man can not get into see Nick." Mark sighed. "Please, Dad. Please."

"Mark..." Jack said. He paused "I don't know what I can do." He watched his son's face. "I'll see what I can do. I can't guarantee anything."

"Thanks, Dad." he said

"Don't thank me yet" he said "Let me see what I can do."

>>>>>>  
_  
**KIDNAPPING FIASCO ENDS IN ARREST: LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR WELCOMES HOME SON**_

The photo of the child covered a full quarter of the front page. His big blue eyes were round and vibrant and his tiny smile showed just a hint of pearly white. He was happy. That sweet little boy was happy.

She had grown up with a mother and about a thousand 'fathers', spending her childhood moving around the country from one motel to another as her mother would entertain a different guy each night.

It wasn't until she was nine that she learned that she had been adopted as a baby. She had been no more than a month old. She had never set out to find her birth parents. Had often wondered what they were like, why they gave her up, but she had never actively searched.

A year and a half earlier was when she had been in San Diego. A long night of drinking, a shot gun wedding that lasted as long as the hangover, and an unplanned pregnancy. She had nobody. She hit a state of depression and at once, she realized that she couldn't raise a baby. She wanted a family who would love him, who would care for him.

Kevin and Kelly Buchanan fell in love with him from the minute they set eyes on him and she had no problems signing custody over to the Buchanans.

She had gone almost ten months without seeing the little boy and reading the story in the paper about little Ace's return is what brought her to Llanview. She had nowhere to stay. The only money in her pocket was enough for one good meal. She was lost, walking around Angel Square, praying that some poor person would drop at least a fifty. No luck.

She walked by Logan's, looking in the window, smiling. The dress was gorgeous and nothing said that she couldn't go in and simply try it on. She walked into the store, admiring the garment. Smiling, she heard a woman's voice. "Emily? Emily?" She felt a hand on her shoulder. "Emily?"

"I'm sorry," she said "You must have me confused with somebody else. My name isn't Emily. It's Bella. Bella Carey."

Bella watched the woman's expression as she looked the girl over. "No," she said "No, it's you. I know it is, please. Please tell me... Have you lived in Llanview long?"

"No ma'am," Bella said. "My momma... we moved around a lot," she sighed. "Emily... is she your little girl?"

The woman nodded. "She'd be your age now. Are you about 20?"

"A few weeks," she said Bella could see the pain in the woman's eyes. "What happened to her?"

"Somebody took her," the woman said. "We were shopping and she was in her carriage... and her brothers... they were there. They stepped away from me so I... I just ran for them. For one second and... when I turned back, she was gone... Emily was gone and I never saw her again."

"I'm really sorry," Bella said

"You could be her. You could be my baby, Bella."

"I'm sorry..."

They were silent. "She had a birthmark..." the woman said. "On the small of her back. It was the only mark on her body."

It was that moment that Bella stopped. "I have..." she turned and exposed her lower back, revealing the tiny birthmark.

There was silence again. "Emily..." she said "You're her. I know you are. You must think I'm some crazy woman but please. I'm begging you, please. I need to know."

Bella looked at her. "I don't even know your name." she said

"Helen" she responded. "Helen Solomon. Please, Bella."

She smiled softly, nodded. "OK," she said, trusting the woman completely. "I'll do what you need I want to know too."

"Bella," Helen said. "Thank you."

She smiled. "Please... if you want... a lot of people just call me Babe."


	2. Chapter Two

Marcie sat in the waiting area long after the others had left. She had a thousand thoughts racing through her mind.

"Marc..." Michael slowly approached her. "Can we talk?"

"About what?" Marcie said sedately.

"Please, Marcie," he said. "What I told you..."

"You killed somebody," Marcie said. "Michael... why didn't you tell me?"

"It's not something that comes up in conversation." Michael said. "Hi, I'm Michael McBain, I'm a Pieces, I like long walks on the strip, oh and I killed a man."

"This isn't funny!" she said.

"I'm not laughing. Marcie, honey, I'm not trying to be funny. I'm serious. I'm dead serious."

"Bad choice of words."

"Marcie, I wanted you to know." Michael said.

Marcie shook her head. "It's just... it's too much to understand right now. Way... too much, Michael."

"Please don't run away from this."

"I need to... I need to let this settle... in my brain" Marcie said nervously. "Please don't follow me."

Marcie turned from him and stepped out of the hospital, leaving Michael standing there, alone.

>>>>>>

Babe had arranged to meet Helen at the Solomon home later that afternoon. She had to do what she had come to Llanview for. To see Kevin Buchanan. She had to see the little boy, baby Ace. She had to know that he was OK.

Babe made her way up to the doors of the Buchanan mansion, knocking loudly. She wrapped her arms around herself, holding her pick coat closed. She waited as the door swung open.

Kevin stood before her. He shook his head. "We had an agreement." Kevin said. "You shouldn't be here."

"I just want to see him, Kevin." babe pleaded. "I don't want to take him. Please. I was so worried about that little boy."

"Ace is just fine," Kevin said. "He's sleeping in the nursery."

"I won't wake him," Babe said.

"You really shouldn't." Kevin said "Look, Babe... I'm sorry you came all the way to Llanview."

"Five minutes," Babe begged. "Oh, Kevin, please. Five minutes."

Kevin sighed, watching Babe's face. "Five minutes," he said. "Come on."

Babe followed Kevin upstairs to the nursery, saw the crib sitting against one of the walls. Ace had awoken, was propped up, watching the door with wide eyes. Babe's face lit up when she saw the child. She slowly stepped away from Kevin towards the baby.

"Oh... hello Sunshine." she cooed softly, lifting Ace into her arms. "I am so happy that you're OK. I am so so happy that your Daddy has you back now." Kevin felt himself softening to Babe's words. "And I saw your happy little face in the paper," Babe continued. "You're a regular little celebrity. That's right. You're a little star." Babe kept the tears from falling down her cheeks. "I am so very happy that you're OK." She sniffled a bit, kissing Ace's forehead before setting him down in the crib again. She turned back to the door. "Thank you." she said softly. "Thank you for... for being so good to him."

"I love Ace" Kevin said. "I would do anything for him."

"I know" she said. "I can tell." Babe paused. "I can... I can show myself out..."

Kevin took a deep breath as Babe began to step away from him. He didn't know why, but something inside him acted instinctively. "Why don't you stay." he said. Babe paused. "I was just going to feed him so... why don't you stay."

Babe smiled widely. "I'd like to." she said "Yeah."

"OK,"

"Thank you," Babe said again. "Thank you Kevin. This means... this means so much to see Ace, to spend some time with him."

Kevin nodded. "Why don't you get him... we can set everything up downstairs." Kevin watched as Babe took the baby into her arms once again, he smiled softly. "Down this way." he said leading her downstairs.


	3. Chapter Three

The cottage was silent as Riley, Jen, Shannon, Marcie, Julie and Hudson sat in the main room. They could hear the clock ticking away the minutes.

"Can somebody just say something," Hudson said. "Anything. Can we just speak." There was silence still. "Look... Nick's in the hospital, he's got decent doctors. Right?" He sighed when nobody responded. "Right, Hudson. Thanks, guys." There was a long silence again. "We can't do anything," Hudson continued. "Just like we couldn't do anything when Mark was in there."

"Hudson's right," Riley said.

"At least somebody agrees with me."

"OK, that didn't give you an open invitation to gloat about it."

"Oh so that's the way it's gonna be, rockstar?" Hudson said.

"Guys!" Marcie got between them. "Stop it! Just stop. God, it's like our first day here all over again."

The room fell into silence again. "Sorry man," Riley said.

"Yeah... me too," Hudson replied.

"OK, so now what?" Shannon said. "We've all kissed and made up and that leaves us... right where we were in the first place. Nick is still... only alive because machines are breathing for him and keeping his heart beating."

"Do we have to talk about this?" Jen said, chiming in.

"What else are we supposed to talk about?" Julie asked. "Are we just supposed to act like this didn't happen? Because it did. Nick is not good. If his father comes down here and decides to pull him off those machines..."

"He's gonna die," They all turned their heads towards the door, where Mark was now standing. "If Nick's father pulls the plug, Nick's gonna die."

A pin could be heard drop in the silence. "So what do we do?" Jen asked.

"Nothing," Mark replied. "My father... he's doing what he can for Nick. He doesn't know what he can do but... he's trying."

"So for now, what?" Shannon said. "Do we hang back and watch?"

"Yes," Mark said simply. "That's what we do. We have no other choice." He shook his head. "There are no other options. None."

Marcie looked at Mark, noticing his eyes. She could see something. Something that she thought she was reading way too far into. It couldn't possibly be what she thought it was. It was impossible. Marcie thought that her mind was just working overtime after hearing the news that Michael had given her.

She noticed the room grow quiet again and watched Mark step away from the doorway and head upstairs. Nobody moved, but Marcie paused a minute before following after him.

Mark lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling as Marcie entered the room. "Mark?" she said softly, closing the door. "Do you wanna talk?" Mark shook his head. Marcie figured she'd go for it. "You know I'll understand. I think I know... how you feel about him."

Mark sat up in bed, looked at her. "Marc..." he said "Not just how much I care about him. He cares about me too."

"Nick?" Marcie said a bit surprised.

"I know you won't tell anyone, Marcie," Mark said. "I know I can trust you." Marcie nodded. "We've been seeing eachother... for a while now. Before my accident."

"I would have never imagined," Marcie admitted. "Nick was always so forward about how he felt..."

"I think he was trying to convince himself that it wasn't true... how he felt." Mark paused. "I can't lose him Marcie. He can't die,"

Marcie's heart fell. "I know exactly how you feel." she said "How it feels to love somebody so much... and see them lying there so helpless. But Nick... Nick's not gonna die. He's too stubborn to die. You know that just as much as anyone."

"Did you think that same thing?" Mark asked. "About Al."

Marcie swallowed hard. "This isn't like Al, Mark. Not at all. Al was sick... drugs..."

Mark shook his head. "Nick..." he sighed. "He was a user to Marcie. That day that he collapsed on the field... it was because he was using."

"Steroids?" Marcie said. Mark nodded. "Is he still on them?"

"No," Mark said "No, he's clean. He's been clean. But so was Al, right? There's no telling what those things did to him. He could die. He's gonna die when they turn those machines off. He's in there Marcie. I know he is. I can just tell."

"Then we get them to keep the machines on. Michael has to be able to do something to help," Marcie couldn't even imagine speaking to Michael at the moment, but for Mark she would. "He's gonna be alright. You have to believe he is, Mark." Marcie wrapped her arms around him. "He's gonna be OK."


	4. Chapter Four

Babe came to a stop outside the Solomon home. It was a larger sized white house. It seemed way too big for just Helen and Jack to live there all alone. It seemed like it should have been a house that was filled with children. Babe did remember that Helen had said that Emily had two brothers. But if it was true and Babe was in fact the missing Emily, she wanted to know it all. She now had this burning desire to know everything about her birth parents, he biological family.

She paused a moment before ringing the bell. She took a deep breath, not knowing why she was so nervous. Her palms sweat and her heart beat just a bit faster than usual. But she paused to compose herself as the front door swung open.

"Emily." Helen said but then stopped, correcting herself. "Babe... please, come in. Make yourself comfortable. My husband should be home soon. He's doing a favor for my son."

Babe smiled as she stepped inside. "I... I'd really like to know about him." Babe said. "I mean... if I really am Emily... I have a family that I shoulda known growing up. I have two brothers, right?"

Helen didn't even hesitate. "Yes. JJ and Mark."

"Well what do they do?" Babe asked curiously.

"Mark... is a student. He goes to Llanview University."

"And JJ?" she asked. "What about him?"

Helen's heart sank and Babe could see that. "JJ... JJ was killed about four years ago... in a car wreck."

Babe cried freely, arms wrapped around herself. "Oh my God..." she said.

"After that day, I had lost all three of my babies." What happened to Mark?" Babe sniffled.

"He shut down," Helen explained. "He went away to school and... we hardly saw or heard from him. Not even on holidays... birthdays. Not at all."

"But you're close now, right? I mean... you live closer now than you used to."

"Mark got hurt a little while back. It's what brought us here to Llanview. It's gotten a little better between the three of us since then."

"Is he OK now? Mark?"

"Yes," Helen replied. "He's recuperating slowly. He's in therapy now for his motor skills." She paused. "But now a friend of his is in the hospital and it's not very good."

"That's horrible," Babe said.

"I just hope that someone got in touch with the boy's family. Family is important to Nick now."

"So he and Mark are friends?"

Helen nodded. "He sat with Mark when he was in the hospital. All the time."

"They sound close," Babe smiled as the front door opened. Both women looked back as Jack stepped inside.

"I didn't know we were having company," Jack said removing his coat. "Was I supposed to know we were having company?"

"Oh... no sir," Babe said. "I don't... I don't think so. I'm Bella Carey. Babe."

"Don't you recognize her, Jack?" Helen said. "It's our baby. She's our Emily."

>>>>>>

John's office was silent. So silent that he could have caught up on most of the sleep he didn't get the night before from working a case. He jumped at the sudden sound of knocking at his door.

"Yeah..." John straightened up in his seat. "Yeah, come in." Michael entered slowly. "Mike. What's up?"

"I need to talk to you," Michael said taking it upon himself to sit.

"Sounds serious," John tried to make light the situation.

"I told her,"

"Told who? What?" John said unsure.

"Marcie," Michael responded. "I told Marcie about what happened... with Aidan. I told her what I did."

"Jesus, Michael," John said. "What the hell... Where is your head!"

"I had to tell her..."

"Do you know what happens if anyone finds out about this?" John said. "We will go to jail. Jail, Michael. You can say goodbye to your job and your life and Marcie. And you, me, and Shannon will end up behind bars."

"Shannon didn't do anything wrong" Michael said.

"It doesn't matter now!" John said. "She was part of covering it up." He shook his head. "It's not just your ass on the line here Mikey."

"Marcie won't tell anyone," he said "I know she won't."

"You better hope not," John said. "And you keep your mouth shut about this. I am not going to lose everything because I covered for you. Do you understand me Michael. Drop the whole thing. Forget it happened. Forget it."


	5. Chapter Five

Jack pulled Helen aside. "Sweetheart," he said. "It's been almost Twenty years."

"And she's almost twenty." Helen responded. "Look at her, Jack. Look at that girl and tell me that she's not our Emily."

"She's not our Emily." Jack said softly. "I know that we lost JJ... almost lost Mark but that girl... that girl is not Emily. Emily is gone, Helen. Why are you digging this all up again?"

"Because that's her." Helen said. "I know that's here and I am going to do everything in my power to prove it." Jack shook his head. "Don't you want to know, Jack? Don't you want to know if Emily is alive? If after all these years we've found her?"

"You're getting your hopes up over a chance encounter."

"And you're not letting yourself hope at all," Helen said. "Just look at her, Jack. Look at her."

Jack turned his head and looked back at Babe, who was looking at some of the family pictures that were out. She did resemble Helen a bit, but that could have been a coincidence.

"Now tell me," Helen said. "Tell me without a doubt, Jack that she's not Emily." He didn't respond. "You can't, can you? You can't tell me that she's not our little girl."

"Does she know everything?" Jack asked.

"Pretty much. And Jack... she was adopted. Well I mean... at least that's what her mother told her. What if her mother... was the woman who kidnapped her. What if..."

"Helen," Jack said. "Helen. Honey, we'll have a test done. Get Bella to agree and we'll have a test done, OK?"

Helen nodded. "OK." she said "She's already agreed to anything we have to do. I think she wants to know the truth too."

"See," Jack said. "So we'll make an appointment, we'll have a test done and we'll know for sure."

"I can call," Helen said. "But I already know for sure. That's our baby. We found her."

>>>>>>

Jen twirled her pencil absently in her fingers like a baton. Laying open in front of her was a copy of _Eight, Nine, Zen: Buddhism for Dummies_. "This is pointless," Jen said. "They write these books so anyone can get it... and I don't get it." She looked at Riley who had a smirk on his face. "You say anything and I'll hurt you."

Riley laughed. "I'm not saying anything." Jen slapped him playfully across the arm. "Oww," he chuckled.

"Isn't that spousal abuse or something?" Julie asked coming into the room.

"Oh come on," Jen said. "Riley and I are just friends."

"Whatever," Julie said spotting the book. "What are you converting or something?"

"It's for this World Religions class I'm raking," Jen shook her head. "I'm clueless."

"Yeah, well that's a given." Julie teased. "What don't you get?"

"Pick a chapter." Jen said. "How about we start at... one?"

Julie shook her head. "Get rid of the book."

"What?"

"Put the book away," Julie said. "I follow some of the teachings. I could explain it to you... in even simpler words than that book."

Jen smiled. "You'd do that?"

Julie nodded. "Can't have you failing again, right?" she smiled. "You'll get it. Trust me."

"Thanks," Jen said. "Cool. Thanks, Julie." Julie took a seat. "You gonna stick around for this?" Jen asked Riley.

Riley was already on his feet. "I'll let you two have some girl time," he said. "I'm gonna get down to UV, get some practice time in."

"OK," Jen smiled. "I'll see you later then." Jen watched as Riley grabbed his guitar and headed out of the cottage.

"There's nothing going on between you and Riley?" Julie said. "You could have fooled me."

"We're just friends," Jen said.

"Well did you ever think it should be more than 'just friends'? You are completely into him. And he is so hot for you."

"He's not..." Jen was blushing.

"And what about you?" Jen's cheeks grew brighter. "See? You're crazy about him. So make a move."

"I'll just end up screwing it up." Jen said. "I've already been married twice and I'm not even twenty five."

"I didn't say marry Riley." Julie said. "Just tell me that you're into him. You can date like civil human beings. But tell him. Just tell him you like him. Jen... tell him."


End file.
